Operation Relo - Oahu Arrival

Hi, DB asked me to send you some pics. Here you are. And he asked if I could write a story...here it goes. Found Irma at White Plains at 7:30am, alone, snoozing and ok. Placed all the signs out and roped her off. Today, all the places we looked were monk seal free. Just tons of ulua fishermen.

Jen Maldonado called us and asked if we could help with KP2. Wanted to know if we could drive the truck...we would meet at the Barbers Pt. Base at 10am. We said, OK. Jen called again, the plane will arrive at 11:30 or 12. We said we'd be there. Had some time left, checked out Campbells area to find nothing too.

We were on our way to the base, Jen called again to get MINI DV Video to document KP, we said...ok. Rushed to Kmart, RUSHED to make the 11:30 pickup. Got there at 11:38, hunted for Dave Schofield, he picked us up and we made our way to KP2. My heart was pounding...we were going to see KP2, after 10 months, he was back. Memories ran through my brains of all the times we had with KP2 back in Sept to Dec 15, 08.

The coast guardsmen directed Dave to the plane. The men carried the large cage out...THERE WAS KP2!!!!!! Oh my gosh, he looked so clean, sleek, handsome and so fricken CUTE!!!!!! My heart was going two eighty. I tried to take pictures, but eveyone else was too, coast guardsmen, me and more. It was fast, KP was glaring at all of us with those sassy big eyes. I thought, WOW, here he is....KP2, the celebrity from Kauai, Molokai. I thought of Val and Diane and all the others and how they must have felt letting go fo KP2's flippers. I just couldnt get a good space to take his photo. Then he looked right through me....oh how powerful a spirit that was....I LOVED IT!!! Then a lady with a baby walked in front of me. NOOOOOO!!!!!! Then Dave said, ok lets move out people.

We got out, Dave with KP2, Robert with Gregs Truck, me in our vehicle. Talk about pumped up!!!!! But, sadly, Rob and I got stuck in the traffic as an accident with a truck hitting a bridge happened. So, we missed all the transport of KP2.

1:11pm Arrive at Aquarium to find KP2 in his beautiful large tank, sleeping in a peaceful manner. I asked Dave if I could photograph KP...he let me. He never did any thing but one stretch...he was out cold. Poor Baby... The HMSRTO team, had it all under control. Rafe Maldonado, Jen Maldonado, Dana Jones and Donna Festa....THE BLOG LADY, along with Dave Schofield, Greg Levine and some other men there.

Well, the day of KP2 has come...the pictures arent all that good, I did the best I could. We stayed till two...I kept taking KP's spirit of peace in his tank. He was absolutely magnificent. Oh I how I wish his life was better and he could stay. But...NOAA has to do what is best for our sweet creature of the sea and shore. Our Prayers are with him and his new home far away from his original place. How many planes, how many helicopters has this little angle been on???? Born on Kauai, abandoned by mom, from day one, taken to Oahu in a little tank for months, then taken to a sea pen, raised by volunteers, dr's, NOAA, Marine Mammal Center people........we all saved his life...yet he is not a seal, more like a puppy. But...perhaps his new home will give him ONE MORE chance of being the GREAT HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL he is!!!!!!

Now we all must watch over him one more time and then.........we need to let go of his flippers, wish him well...........Good luck sweet KP2....I love you with all my soul, now and forever!!!! B